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OLD BROWN PANTS My grandfather, he, at the age of eighty three Got disgusted and made up his mind to die Of course he left a will, and to my brother, Bill He left a house that in the town did lie And to my sister Jane, he left a watch and chain A house and lot he left to sister Nance But how it made me swear when the lawyer did declare That grandfather left to me his old brown pants Ch: How they did giggle, how they did yell Even to my sister and my dear Isabel How they did laugh, whene'er they had a chance Cause grandfather left to me his old brown pants Now Bill and Moriah wed, and the boys and girls all said Let's surprise them with an old rag carpet bee The colors were in demand, and the old pants came to hand As they ripped and cut the jokes went 'round on me. My Isabel the waistband tore, something rolled out on the floor "It's a thousand dollar bill", said sister Nance Said sister Jane to Bill, "That wasn't in the will." Says I, "Don't you wish you had the old brown pants?" Ch: How I did giggle... This version is from the singing of 9-year-old Ann Purcell of Mt. Vernon, IL, re c. 1956 by Wilma Barnard Boswell, her teacher. From southern Illinois, an area rich in folk music tradition, I have a number of versions of "The Old Arm Chair", which I believe to be the parent of the above song. The story is the same, but the treasure reveals itself when the bottom of the chair falls out one night. Also, the loot is in pounds, rather than dollars in this version, supporting the chronology. See Also Old Armchair - Old Arm Chair @parody @tearjerker filename[ ARMCHAI2 GH |
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